On Rebound From Smoltz, Braves Turn to Lowe

"There's a lot of teams involved, especially when it comes to the free agents," Cox said. "There's always six or seven teams going to be disappointed when they don't land the guy. That's what happened up with Burnett and Furcal."

This is an Oct. 9, 2008 file photo showing Los Angeles Dodgers' Derek Lowe throwing during first...

This is an Oct. 9, 2008 file photo showing Los Angeles Dodgers' Derek Lowe throwing during first inning baseball action in Game 1 of the National League championship series against the Philadelphia Phillies, in Philadelphia. The Atlanta Braves worked to bolster their rotation, closing in a $60 million, four-year deal with Derek Lowe, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, Pool)

(AP)

With Kawakami and Lowe, the Braves have the makings of a solid rotation. They previously acquired Javier Vazquez to join holdover Jair Jurrjens, the team's top starter last season as a rookie with a 13-10 record and 3.68 ERA. Another rookie, Jorge Campillo, was 8-7 with a 3.91 ERA.

Vazquez was acquired from the Chicago White Sox for a package of minor leaguers after going 12-16 with a 4.67 ERA.

Kawakami is not overpowering, but he has good control, an effective cutter and a slow, sweeping curve that reminds the Braves of Roy Oswalt's signature pitch.

"It's not like my fastball is going to blow anybody away," he said, according to his translator. "It's makes it that much more important how I use my slow curve. It's a pitch I need courage to throw because if I make a mistake, they're going to take it out."

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

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